Guest guest Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 In a message dated 3/17/2006 3:26:25 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, wmbittner writes: I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, andmaybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from.Peace. Namaste Dear Friend, We are an open family. Peace and Love Kanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a nutshell. I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in web design and architecture. Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community. Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was something to be learned from them. Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christian upbringing. I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism. But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk." Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith, Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but it's not the same. I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason, back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts. I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in. Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on. I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God. I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one. I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals, meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water, etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses existed. I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism, especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them. As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were. Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's love, wisdom, and laugh. I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego. They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have taught me so much. And they make me laugh. Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are other questions as well. Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) just plain nuts? Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes, read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a makeshift altar. I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from. Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 hello! the divinities look like idols, but they are a representation of your own inner potential. he who gets to know them, is getting closer to the best part of himself. if a person establishes trust, having observed a positive examples, regular application of wisdom, enthusiasm, and inspiration .... then it fades away, who someone else is ... then i can get to work on who i am [as God, Self, whatever i want to call That.] curious isn't it -- we never know who anyone else is. all we can do is learn how to respect and appreciate them. peace, welcome. steve Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) just plain nuts? , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote: > > By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am > working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a > multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a > nutshell. > > I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in > web design and architecture. > > Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an > interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community. > Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell > away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of > philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually > found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as > doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I > could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this > universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are > meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or > almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was > something to be learned from them. > > Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I > discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the > universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of > believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or > Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the > practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's > picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christian upbringing. > > I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its > liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism. > But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk." > > Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian > Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and > devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith, > Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met > wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. > > But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism > which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered > me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but > it's not the same. > > I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason, > back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri > Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts. > > I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in. > Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not > 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son > of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's > focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on. > > I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of > God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God. > I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But > I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one. > > I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in > Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and > his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals, > meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water, > etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe > Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even > know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. > > I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't > believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses > existed. > > I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism, > especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the > Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are > so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just > superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God > exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart > nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them. > > As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and > Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them > were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were. > > Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami > Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most > to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent > hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching > their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so > much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always > believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's > love, wisdom, and laugh. > > I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually > set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and > selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in > expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of > humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego. > They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have > taught me so much. And they make me laugh. > > Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I > believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are > other questions as well. > > Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to > Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take > part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, > neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely > enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) > just plain nuts? > > Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may > never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic > scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes, > read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and > think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and > listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. > > And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a > makeshift altar. > > I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and > maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from. > > Peace. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Namaste, a warm welcome to you! I'm glad you found your way here and I hope to hear more from you. It is my experience that in this group, you are actually encouraged to ask questions and no one expects you to accept or believe anything on authority. Which makes a nice change, I think, with love, Henny -- In , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote: > > By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am > working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a > multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a > nutshell. > > I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in > web design and architecture. > > Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an > interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community. > Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell > away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of > philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually > found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as > doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I > could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this > universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are > meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or > almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was > something to be learned from them. > > Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I > discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the > universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of > believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or > Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the > practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's > picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christian upbringing. > > I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its > liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism. > But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk." > > Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian > Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and > devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith, > Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met > wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. > > But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism > which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered > me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but > it's not the same. > > I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason, > back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri > Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts. > > I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in. > Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not > 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son > of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's > focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on. > > I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of > God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God. > I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But > I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one. > > I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in > Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and > his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals, > meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water, > etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe > Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even > know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. > > I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't > believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses > existed. > > I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism, > especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the > Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are > so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just > superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God > exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart > nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them. > > As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and > Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them > were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were. > > Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami > Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most > to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent > hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching > their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so > much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always > believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's > love, wisdom, and laugh. > > I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually > set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and > selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in > expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of > humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego. > They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have > taught me so much. And they make me laugh. > > Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I > believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are > other questions as well. > > Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to > Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take > part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, > neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely > enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) > just plain nuts? > > Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may > never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic > scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes, > read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and > think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and > listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. > > And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a > makeshift altar. > > I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and > maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from. > > Peace. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 -- In , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote: > > By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am > working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a > multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a > nutshell. > [snipped the rest for brevity]-- be LOVE,egyirba (berijoy)~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\"all you need is love love...love is all you need." ~ the beatles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Dear Saint, Welcome indeed! Thanks for the bio-data, its very inspiring. It seems you are nothing if not dynamic. We're advised to be as broad as the sky and as deep as the ocean, and in a realatively short time you have certainly covered the breadth requirements. I have a question in mind that I have been thinking of asking the Swami, but with all your recent exposure to traditions, philosophies, practices, and teachers, it might be instructive to ask you as well. What, in your opinion is the soul? Some say it must be "saved"; some not. Some say it evolves; others that it is eternal. Do we have a relationship with our soul; can one communicate with it, and to what purpose and to what effect? Where does it occure in the continuum of gross, subtle, causal, turiya, saguna, nirguna, etc. of the East? The West makes a great deal about the soul; in the East it seems not mentioned as such. Is it part of ahamkara, part of manas or buddhi, another name for atman? It all needs to be sorted out. I'd be interested in, and attentive to, your comments. Welcome once again, Tanmaya , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote: > > By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am > working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a > multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a > nutshell. > > I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in > web design and architecture. > > Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an > interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community. > Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell > away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of > philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually > found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as > doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I > could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this > universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are > meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or > almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was > something to be learned from them. > > Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I > discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the > universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of > believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or > Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the > practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's > picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christian upbringing. > > I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its > liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism. > But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk." > > Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian > Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and > devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith, > Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met > wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. > > But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism > which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered > me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but > it's not the same. > > I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason, > back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri > Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts. > > I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in. > Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not > 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son > of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's > focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on. > > I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of > God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God. > I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But > I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one. > > I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in > Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and > his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals, > meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water, > etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe > Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even > know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. > > I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't > believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses > existed. > > I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism, > especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the > Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are > so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just > superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God > exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart > nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them. > > As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and > Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them > were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were. > > Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami > Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most > to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent > hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching > their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so > much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always > believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's > love, wisdom, and laugh. > > I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually > set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and > selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in > expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of > humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego. > They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have > taught me so much. And they make me laugh. > > Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I > believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are > other questions as well. > > Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to > Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take > part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, > neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely > enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) > just plain nuts? > > Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may > never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic > scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes, > read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and > think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and > listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. > > And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a > makeshift altar. > > I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and > maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from. > > Peace. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 > What, in your opinion is the soul? > > Some say it must be "saved"; some not. Some say it evolves; others > that it is eternal. Like I said, I'm 100-110% about very few things. But, if I had to choose a position, I'd believe a soul doesn't need to be saved in the traditional sense. To me, the soul is never corrupt. Only bound to materialism or covered in grime. > Do we have a relationship with our soul; can one > communicate with it, and to what purpose and to what effect? Part of me thinks we can't form a relationship or communicate with our soul. I think our soul is who we are. I believe we must allow it to be in charge again, free from material and sensual pursuits. I don't know if it's abandonning Ego, or subsuming (is that a word) the ego into the soul. > Where does it occure in the continuum of gross, subtle, causal, > turiya, saguna, nirguna, etc. of the East? I don't know the definitions of all of those terms. > The West makes a great deal about the soul; in the East it seems not > mentioned as such. It doesn't? I thought the soul was the same thing as the Self. > Is it part of ahamkara, part of manas or buddhi, another name for > atman? It all needs to be sorted out. Again, terms I am not familiar with. I'll repeat, I believe the soul equals the self, and it is who we truly are. The Judeo-Christian tradition says that God formed a human from clay and breathed into the figure. God was transferring a part of his/herself into the human. His/her breath. Which is the soul. Which is why (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone), the Qualified Non-Dualist (or Monist) believes we a part of God or a part of God resides within us, and the Non-Dualist (or Monist) believes we are of the same substance of God, or that we are God. Do I believe evertything is God? Sri Ramakrishna said that everything is just a matter of degrees. I believe that everything is God. But there is also Maya. And Maya exists in different degrees. We are our Soul, and our Soul is God. Maybe just a different degree of "God-ness" (or Goodness, huh?). Or maybe different souls are affected with different degrees of Maya. Personally, I'm at a point that even though such details as the "nature of the Soul" intrigue me, they are secondary to my pursuit to be closer to and experience God. I guess it's like approaching a loved one. You have an appointment. You are anxious to see this loved one. Anxious to sit at their feet. Hug them. Listen to them. Who I am, where I came from, what my profession is, is kind of unimportant to me and forgotten when I am seeking the Divine. And frankly, I don't know if any of us will ever understand all these things that are difficult to understand, with 110-110% accuracy. Which is why I focus on my few key beliefs and practices. Seek God. Love God. Love others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 greetings, My friend it sounds like you and I have travelled similar spiritual roads. Hello and welcome to the group! I am Melissa from Ontario, Canada I am at work right now, so this is short but wanted to say hello! Blessings Melissa , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote: > > By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am > working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a > multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a > nutshell. > > I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in > web design and architecture. > > Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an > interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community. > Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell > away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of > philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually > found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as > doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I > could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this > universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are > meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or > almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was > something to be learned from them. > > Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I > discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the > universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of > believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or > Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the > practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's > picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christian upbringing. > > I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its > liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism. > But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk." > > Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian > Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and > devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith, > Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met > wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. > > But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism > which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered > me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but > it's not the same. > > I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason, > back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri > Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts. > > I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in. > Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not > 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son > of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's > focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on. > > I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of > God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God. > I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But > I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one. > > I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in > Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and > his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals, > meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water, > etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe > Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even > know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. > > I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't > believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses > existed. > > I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism, > especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the > Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are > so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just > superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God > exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart > nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them. > > As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and > Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them > were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were. > > Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami > Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most > to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent > hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching > their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so > much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always > believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's > love, wisdom, and laugh. > > I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually > set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and > selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in > expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of > humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego. > They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have > taught me so much. And they make me laugh. > > Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I > believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are > other questions as well. > > Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to > Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take > part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations, > neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely > enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended) > just plain nuts? > > Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may > never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic > scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes, > read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and > think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and > listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. > > And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a > makeshift altar. > > I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and > maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from. > > Peace. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 least,I have distinctly seen that.Once (last year August 2005) I was praying Mahakali all day on amavasya,and My wife afterwards was woken up by some woman from sleep and she was shivering,scared and sweating.Of course she and I were not doing well and I was seeking Mahakali's grace to help the matter.It is absolutely true. It is not easy to find the absolute and in fact when you will try hard,for a while it will become more difficult and unobtainable doe to God'sd grace. I have also struggled for awhile in spiritual quest.As Sriswamiji has previously told me ,start a little and keep growing. As far as I am concerned,I worship Gyatrimaa and Lord Suryanarayan as my first God and in the evening,I pray to Maa Durga with full puja viddhi as per shreeswamiji's books. I also donot like idols but I have Yantras for appropriate divinity.That way I am more scientific in my associations with divine.In fact I only invite the Divine within my heart only.However,even Sun is an idol by definition. Sri swamiji has helped me incredibly in finding some answers to my querries and is always very forthcoming with proper answers.I truly love him.He is a great walking soul on this earth. VinodMelissa <honor (AT) pppoe (DOT) ca> wrote: greetings,My friend it sounds like you and I have travelled similar spiritual roads.Hello and welcome to the group!I am Melissa from Ontario, Canada I am at work right now, so this isshort but wanted to say hello!BlessingsMelissa--- In , "wmbittner1966" <wmbittner wrote:>> By the way, I know I have not offically introduced myself. I am> working on a long-form spiritually biography (I'm am talking about a> multi-page letter -- not a book), but until then, here is me in a> nutshell.> > I am a married, 39 y.o. American, with a 14 y.o. dauther, and works in> web design and architecture.> > Grew up Christian/Charismatic/Catholic. Belonged to an> interdenominational, Christian, Fundamentalist, community.> Re-discovered and fell in love with my Catholocism in college. I fell> away from Catholocism after college, and started reading a lot of> philosophy, mythology, and texts from other religions. Eventually> found myself disagreeing with traditional Christianity, as well as> doubting other stuff I always believed. So I focused on the things I> could be 110% sure of: 1) There is a God, 2) He/She created this> universe, 3) We are meant to love and serve Him/Her, and 4) We are> meant to love and serve each other. I also came to feel that all (or> almost all) the religions profess the same thing and there was> something to be learned from them.> > Eventually, via Yogananda Paramahansa and Ekanath Easwaran, I> discovered Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna, and fell in love with the> universalism of his Vedanta. However, the closest community of> believers to me (I live in Pittsburgh) was either New York or> Washington, D.C. Also, at that time, I was uncomfortable with the> practice of worshiping or presenting offerings to Sri Ramakrishna's> picture or statue, since it went so against my Judeo/Christianupbringing.> > I tried Unitarian Universalism, and I was very comfortable with its> liberalism, tolerance, humanism, focus on ethics, and universalism.> But it lacked passion, devotion, ritual, and "God-Talk."> > Then I discovered Reform Judaism, which is very much like Unitarian> Universalism, with the added benefit of having elements of ritual and> devotion, as well as being a big part of my former faith,> Christianity. So I became a Reform Jew, learned a heck of a lot, met> wonderful people, including a wonderful Rabbi. > > But, eventually, the fervor wore off. And some elements in Judaism> which bothered me slightly in the beginning of my quest, now bothered> me just a slight bit more. I still go to temple to study Torah, but> it's not the same. > > I have lately felt the draw back to mysticism. And for some reason,> back to Sri Ramakrishna. So I started to re-read "The Gospel of Sri> Ramakrishna", Swami Vivekananda's works, and other Vedantic texts.> > I found myself at a point of not knowing which religion I believed in.> Each has its beauty and wisdom. But each, for me, has things I'm not> 110% comfortable with. Christianity's claim that Jesus is the only Son> of God, and the only way to Heaven. Judaism's xenophobia. Hinduism's> focus on idols. Islam's focus on Muhammad. And so on.> > I wonder if I have outgrown my need for a personal representation of> God. My goal now has become simply to draw closer and experience God.> I know I don't need a formalized, traditional religion to do this. But> I know it would be easier to do this if I did belong to one.> > I do though miss some aspects of formal religion. I don't believe in> Jesus as a typical Christian does, but I do miss "talking" to him and> his mother Mary, as well as praying to the Saints, wearing medals,> meditating in front of the Eucharist, blessing myself with holy water,> etc. But I feel I shouldn't do those anymore since I don't believe> Jesus is the only Son of God or the only way to heaven. I don't even> know if I believe he was an avatar, or a yogi, or even existed. > > I still believe in the basic, ethical tenents or Judaism. But I don't> believe that the Torah was dictated by God, or that Abraham or Moses> existed.> > I am attracted to the Gods, Goddesses, and Demi-Gods of Hinduism,> especially Krishna and Hanuman. Because of Krishna Das, I chant to the> Hindu Dieties all day long. The pujas and ceremonies I have seen are> so beutiful to me. But the rational side of me says they are just> superstitions, and the Dieties are myths and never existed. Only God> exists, and which, in Hinduism, goes by the name Brahman. But my heart> nonetheless is attracted to them and seems to believe in them.> > As to avatars, part of me believes that Buddha, Christ, and> Ramakrishna were avatars. Another part believes only a few of them> were. And another part doesn't believe any of them were.> > Then, by way of his podcasts on podcast.net, I discovered Swami> Satyananda Saraswati, and soon after, Sree Maa. What attracted me most> to Swami was his voice, passion, intonation, and authority. I spent> hours browsing their site, listening to audio classes, and watching> their videos. And I'm absolutely loving what I have found. There is so> much wisdom and so much confirmation about things I have always> believed. I love Swami's humor, wisdom, and energy. And I love Maa's> love, wisdom, and laugh. > > I also appreciate the qualities or lack of qualities that have usually> set off my highly-tuned B.S. meter. They love God and others, and> selflessly give. They aren't asking for money, driving around in> expensive cars, or living in expensive houses. They have a sense of> humor about themselves. They seem to lack any sort of inflated ego.> They don't claim to have found the best or only path to God. They have> taught me so much. And they make me laugh.> > Where this is all going to lead, I don't know. Do I know what I> believe yet, outside my 4 main beliefs? I don't know. And there are> other questions as well.> > Is praying to idols right or wrong? Do I want to go back to praying to> Jesus? Will I ever find a religion or community I can comfortably take> part in where I live? Are the Hindu Dieties myths, manifestations,> neither, or both? Are Shree Maa and Swami avatars, completely> enlightenend souls, extremely wise people, or (no disrespect intended)> just plain nuts? > > Meanwhile, until these questions or issues are resolved (and they may> never be), at the present, I will continue to study the Hindu/Vedantic> scriptures, lives of holy men and woman, listen to Swami's classes,> read his and her books, listen to Krishna Das, meditate when I can and> think about God when I can't, work to serve others selfishly, meet and> listen to people from other faiths, and love and serve my family. > > And who know, maybe even set up a few pictures of holy people as a> makeshift altar. > > I am happy to meet you all. And hope I can learn from you all, and> maybe share some thoughts of mine that you might learn from.> > Peace.> Travel Find great deals to the top 10 hottest destinations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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